Do a quick search on the internet for quotes on imagination, and you’re sure to come across hundreds. Imagination is what makes the world go round, because it’s imagination that precedes innovations, and creations, and it’s equally important for adults and kids. Successful, talented, secure, and well-adjusted adults were kids who had plenty of imaginative play.
What this means is it’s your job as a parent to fire up your kids’ imagination as early as the toddler stage. Playtime is crucial for the proper development of skills, such as motor skills, social skills, and problem solving skills, and it’s all connected with imaginative play that you can make more time for with the adequate toys, like the mailbox toy for toddlers, instead of screen time.
Mailboxes can be so much fun, giving kids the thrill of receiving personal mail every day, and at the same time put stamps on pretend letters, and sort the mail in the mailbox, ready for delivery. What this toy provides is acquiring of related vocabulary, and learning how things work when you receive or send a letter.
Along with the mailbox toy for toddlers, make sure kids have the space to hide (they can be like cats, loving their secret spaces) with the addition of a teepee in the room. A teepee is ideal for teaching kids how to love nature, camping, and picnics, moving it to the yard from time to time, providing imaginative play in the fresh air.
Don’t forget story time! Nowadays, the options of storybooks for sale are many, be it actual books with stories, or books you can find online, so you have plenty of sources. Kids would wait for stories every night, enthusiastically, and you can ignite their imagination by asking them to come up with endings, or entire stories of their own.
Art is an essential part of life, and so should be art making. Whether it’s painting, drawing, moulding, or sculpting, kids should be creating as may artworks as possible, which you can later display at home, or even make an exhibition for visitors to see.
They would feel a great deal of accomplishment, and be motivated to continue creating more, developing their artistic talents. This is the perfect opportunity to also teach them about eco-friendliness, as there are many ways you can use recycled materials to create some piece of art.
Dress-up plays are just as fun and creative, and you’d be surprised to see how far kids’ imagination can go, when allowed to roam free. Feeling inspired for some imaginative play with your kids?
